Queensland students improve NAPLAN test results

Queensland's Education Minister says the state's teachers and students can be proud of achieving some of their highest scores in the national literacy and numeracy tests.

John-Paul Langbroek told 612 ABC Brisbane results from the National Assessment Program - Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) results showed the state now ranked fourth in the number of students achieving benchmarks in years three and five, with the exception of writing.

Mr Langbroek said it was much better than the seventh spot achieved in 2008.

"We had to work hard to target funding where we knew it would make the most difference," he said.

"We're focussing on teacher quality, school autonomy and in the early years of school with special programs to help students with literacy and numeracy."

However, Queensland parents were warned schools might miss out on vital resources if their children skipped the tests.

Mr Langbroek said there was a 5 per cent drop in attendance figures.

"The test is imperative for making sure we put resources where they're needed the most," he said.

"If students don't attend, the notional score that's actually given to them is going to drag down the state's averages and not actually help where we're going to put resourcing anyway."

NAPLAN results need to be kept in context

Peter Levett, acting CEO of Parents and Citizens Queensland (P&CsQ), said although Queensland's improved results were encouraging, the NAPLAN test needed to be kept in context.

"There are advantages to taking these types of tests," he said.

[NAPLAN] is an important part of the picture, but it's not the be-all and end-all.

Peter Levett, Parents and Citizens Queensland

"Before the NAPLAN tests commenced ... around 2008, obviously we didn't have a good idea of how Queensland compared to the rest of Australia, and now we do.

"But it's very important for us to look at those results and say, we need to compare apples and apples.

"If you look at some of the demographic and the number of schools in say, the ACT, Queensland is very, very different context.

"When we look at NAPLAN results we have to be considerate of context as well."

ACARA takes responsibility for writing result anomaly

Teachers were not given any guide as to what genre the writing test was going to be, and it was the only test out of the five NAPLAN tests to record a fall in student results.

The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authoritiy (ACARA), the national testing authority, accepted responsibility for the writing result anomaly and said student and teacher performance had not declined.

Mr Levett said the unexpected approach for the writing test to a persuasive piece from a narrative had thrown many students.

"If we gear our students up to take a NAPLAN test and then throw in something very different, then you are going to see very different results," he said.

"The difference in approach in terms of the writing test - I think we need to take on board the results of this year.

"There's been some comment around that question, which seemed to throw quite a few of our students out.

"It's important that we talk about NAPLAN tests but we shouldn't necessarily put too much weight on it and we have to consider it again within context."

He said it would be important for improving student outcomes to also encourage creativity.

"It's an important part of the picture, but it's not the be-all and end-all.

"[The NAPLAN result] is very encouraging, which is as a result of the introduction of the prep year and a focus on those earlier years."

The Queensland Teachers Union (QTU) welcomed the latest NAPLAN results but also said parents should not to get too caught up in the figures.

QTU spokeswoman Kate Ruttiman said the Queensland results were good but there were other aspects of education that were more important.

"More about ensuring the teacher-to-student ratios are right, more about ensuring that there is funding for the right programs to be delivered to students, more about being able to provide funding to support the learning needs of students, whether they are high achieving students or students with special needs," she said.

"What teachers will do with these results is have a look at the data and continue to put in place programs to support the learning needs of their students.

"Additional funding to support teachers is obviously very important because this means we will be able to direct programs towards students."